Virtual keyboards are a text input method employed on computer screens used as computer user interfaces, in which the computer renders an image of a keyboard, and the user selects “keys” directly from image of the key. Virtual keyboards may rely on touch screens, in which the user touches the screen with a finger or a stylus, but other virtual keyboards are possible, relying on mouse key selections, eye movements, or other actions taken by a user to select a key on a virtual keyboard. Thus, virtual keyboards do not have actual physical keys with a physical switch, as in a conventional computer keyboard, but rely entirely on the touching of the screen or other selection method to select the key desired by the user. Each “key” on a virtual keyboard is nothing more than a region on a screen that is selectable.
Virtual keyboards are commonplace in a plethora of devices, including smartphones, tablet computers, automobile dashboards, industrial equipment, and home appliances.
Virtual keyboards are often presented in the traditional “QWERTY” format, but alternative keyboard layouts have been developed, and can be readily implemented using a virtual keyboard.
A typical feature of virtual keyboards, regardless of the device, is that virtual keyboards are usually employed in situations involving devices with rigid space limitations. Prime examples are smartphones or other handheld computers, in which small physical size is a critical attribute. Such small size creates challenges in entering and displaying text and graphics.
A common issue with virtual keyboards on small screens is that the small keys are hard to see and accurately select, make typing slow, tedious, difficult, and highly error prone.
However, even if a virtual keyboard is not presented on a highly space constrained device, typing and data entry on a virtual keyboard is usually more difficult than a conventional full size keyboard. There is a lack of tactile feedback and other cues present on conventional keyboards, which makes typing even on a larger virtual keyboard slow, difficult, and error prone.
Computer makers on devices such as smartphones have addressed this issue with various methods for predictive word completion systems. One such method is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,886,233, (the '233 patent) which discloses various menus that appear when text is typed that guesses what the user might want to say.
Typically, such systems start with two computer screen regions. A lower region displays the virtual keyboard, and an upper region displays edit content, such as a text message, email message, or other document.
The '233 patent discloses a typical prior art embodiment for predictive word completion in which a third region is rendered between the virtual keyboard and edit content regions of the screen that displays (typically in a single line) several word completion options. See, for example FIG. 10 in the '233 patent. The '233 patent itself discloses word completion candidates or fragments thereof that appear in the area that would otherwise be used by the virtual keyboard space bar (FIG. 11 and col. 9, l 40).
Another prior art approach is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,002,390, in which substantial menus showing word completion candidates are displayed.